Arlong was done for.
Nami had finally, with her own two hands, avenged her mother.
With Arlong dead, Nami's feelings become a complicated mess.
After a moment of stunned silence, she turned and hugged Nojiko and Genzo tightly, and then she just broke down, sobbing.
"Bellemere," she cried, "I finally avenged you, waaah~~"
Nojiko and Genzo couldn't hold it in either, and soon they were all crying their eyes out together.
The other villagers were all openly weeping too.
It was a wave of pure, cathartic release.
Amid the tears, they also applauded, glad that the monster Arlong had finally gotten what he deserved.
Just then, an old man from the village stepped forward.
It was Nako, the village doctor, who also happened to know a thing or two about tattoos.
He took a deep breath, and his aged body bent into a perfect 90-degree bow towards Ray, Luffy, and the others.
Sanji immediately rushed to help him up, but the old man stopped him.
"I'm a doctor," Nako said, his voice sincere. "I can fix broken bones and treat illnesses, but I was completely powerless against the pain in Nami's heart. Before today, every time I thought about what her family went through, my own heart ached. It was a sickness of the soul, one that was slowly killing her, and I had no cure."
"But then," he continued, "Nami met all of you. What you did today was more than just a fight; it was a life-saving medicine for her spirit. So please, do not stop me. This is the only way an old man like me can express my gratitude."
Ray, Luffy, and the others listened quietly.
They didn't feel like heroes or anything.
For them, doing this for Nami was just... what you do.
It wasn't even a choice.
Why?
Luffy adjusted his straw hat, his expression suddenly dead serious.
"Because Nami is our nakama!"
Those words hit everyone like a thunderbolt.
The doctor, Nojiko, and all the villagers broke into huge, joyful smiles.
They were truly, genuinely happy for Nami.
Even the other Straw Hats were a little moved by Luffy's simple, powerful declaration.
'Nakama.'
It was such a simple word, but to the Straw Hat Pirates, it meant everything.
When they call you "nakama," it means: If you need something, they'll help, no questions asked.
If you're hurting, they'll do anything to make it better.
If you have an enemy, that enemy becomes their enemy, and they will fight to the death for you.
Simply because "nakama" are worth it.
Ray found himself smiling.
This was it.
This kind of pure, unshakable friendship was incredibly rare.
Being with these people... it brought a kind of peace to his heart.
No need to watch your back, no schemes, no deception.
That was enough.
…
As for the other three fishman officers...
Kuroobi and Chu were knocked out and tied up in a warehouse.
The villagers could turn them over to the Marines later and collect the bounty money to help rebuild.
But what to do with Hachi was a much tougher question for Nami.
Just a few minutes ago, Nojiko had brought over that little girl he'd saved.
The girl had begged Nami to spare Hachi's life.
Honestly, the history between Nami and Hachi was complicated.
He was the one who had spotted Bellemere's house all those years ago.
He was the one who told Arlong there were two kids inside.
That single act directly led to Bellemere's death.
If Arlong was the killer, Hachi was the main accomplice.
And yet... during the eight years Nami was forced to work for Arlong, Hachi had been the only one who was ever nice to her.
He would try to cheer her up.
And as she got older, he was the one who protected her from the other fishmen who wanted to... take advantage of her.
He was always good to the village kids, too.
Nami truly had no idea what to do.
Just then, Ray walked up and patted her on the shoulder.
"When you can't make a decision," he said quietly, "just go with your gut."
Nami froze for a second.
After a brief pause, she made up her mind.
"Hachi," she announced, "throw him into the sea with his wounds and let fate decide. And he is never, ever to come back here again!"
Hearing her decision, Hachi's eyes welled up with tears.
He wanted to say something, but Nami cut him off.
"Listen carefully, Hachi. I'm letting you go because I don't want to kill you, not because I've forgiven you. Understand?"
After saying that, Nami turned and walked towards the back mountain, towards Bellemere's grave.
"Should we follow her?" Luffy asked Ray. "Nami looks so lonely."
Ray shook his head. "She's strong. She's going to say goodbye to her past. Let's not bother her."
"Okay."
…
It felt like a lifetime of events had just happened, but in reality, less than two hours had passed since the Straw Hats had arrived.
And the actual fight, from start to finish? It hadn't even taken fifteen minutes.
…
Meanwhile, back at Marine Base 16...
Captain Nezumi had just gotten back to his office.
He was about to half-heartedly deal with some paperwork when a Marine burst in.
"Captain, something big has happened!"
Nezumi looked annoyed. "What could possibly happen around here? Pirates?"
"Yes, Captain, it's a pirate issue."
Hearing that, Nezumi became even more dismissive.
"Then there's nothing to worry about. Arlong will take care of it for us. That guy thinks this whole area is his personal territory anyway."
A sleazy grin spread across his face.
He'd been using Arlong's possessiveness for years to keep other pirates out of his jurisdiction.
But the soldier just stood there, looking nervous.
"Hmm? You got something else to say?"
The soldier swallowed hard. "The Straw Hat Pirates... and the Fishman Pirates... they've started a fight."
Hearing that, Nezumi, who had been so calm a second ago, broke into a cold sweat.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, sir! Our informant saw them start fighting and immediately ran to call us!"
Nezumi started pacing back and forth, his mind racing.
'I just warned Arlong today, how did they start fighting so fast? The Straw Hats are a big deal in the East Blue right now, but Arlong's crew is a nightmare for any human pirate. The Straw Hats don't have anyone like Buggy, so it shouldn't be a total blowout. No matter how I think about it... this is an opportunity for me.'
That sleazy expression returned.
"Gee-hee-hee," he chuckled. "Give the order. Get 50 men and launch the warship. Destination: Cocoyashi Village. Objective: Capture the Straw Hat crew and Arlong's crew."
"Yes, sir!"